Tobacco Tax Act charges stayed against Buffalo

Charges under the Tobacco Tax Act of storing tobacco products that were not marked for legal sale in Alberta and for possessing more than 1,000 cigarettes have been stayed against former Montana Cree First Nation Chief Carolyn Buffalo. The charges stem from an investigation into the seizure of 16 million contraband cigarettes in January 2011. Head of Rainbow Tobacco Robbie Dickson still faces the same charges. “It’s a perfect example of an effort to criminalize folks instead of attempting to resolve with First Nations what is obviously an issue that requires good faith resolution discussions, not on a criminal level, but negotiations between governments on the Aboriginal right to trade in tobacco,” said Julian Falconer, Buffalo’s former lawyer. The prosecution did not specify why the charges were stayed against Buffalo. The province says it cannot discuss specifics of the case as Dickson is still before the courts.